Kosher Today: PETA Doctored Photo. Truth: Stock Photo Used By Yeshiva World News Not From PETA's Rubashkin Website, Stolen From Temple Grandin

Kosher Today in its new issue sent today (and not yet online) accuses PETA of doctoring evidence:

KosherToday in an exclusive report has learned that the PETA Web site doctored a photo of a box used in the kosher slaughter of animals. The box in the photo was never used at the plant.

PETA's Matt Prescott, responding for PETA VP Bruce Friedrich, tells me that the photo in question (seen to the right here and taken from Yeshiva World) never appeared on PETA's Rubashkin investigation website and that the photo appeared on Yeshiva World. Prescott noted that PETA has a firm policy never to doctor photos, video, or other evidence.

Here's a PDF of the Yeshiva World post:

Download the_yeshiva_world_frum_jewish_news.pdf

But it is more complicated than that. I traced the picture to Answers.com. Answers.com lists the source of the picture as Dr. Temple Grandin, the noted expert on slaughter (see several interviews with her linked on the sidebar of this page). The picture is clearly labeled as "Cattle restrained for stunning just prior to slaughter." The image is copyrighted and may only be used if the owner, Temple Grandin, is acknowledged and the image description is properly credited. Yeshiva World did neither.

Here's a PDF of the Answers.com page:

Download slaughter_pic_answers.com.pdf

In other words, Yeshiva World took the picture without attribution and now either Menachem Lubinsky is lying (or mistaken) or Yeshiva World is lying (or mistaken). No surprise in either case, I'm afraid.

UPDATE 7-17-07: The Yeshiva World News editor contacted me regarding this post. He was unaware of the source of the picture, claiming it was sent to him via email by a regular tipster. He did not mean for the photo placement to imply that the photo was from PETA or its website. He has now credited the photo on his website and noted correctly that it is a picture of an animal restrained immediately prior to stunning. He tells me he also contacted PETA and apologized.

Here is a new PDF of the page:

Download the_yeshiva_world_2.pdf

Comments

[formallyfrum]

Yeshiva World and many frum people just do not believe or just do not want to believe any criticism to their world and their kind from anybody especially an outside group. If they see some evidence they say it must be wrong, end of story.

They and their leaders can do no wrong.

[John K. Diamond]

It appears to me that Kosher Today and Yeshiva World are doing a good job in setting themselves up for some serious litigation.

The sooner, the better.

[Michael Croland]

Yeshiva News messed up, but it doesn't seem to irk me.

Kosher Today's accusations, considering that they seem to be false, are appalling.

Thanks for getting to the bottom of this so quickly!

[Nigritude Ultramarine]

Answers.com lists the source of the picture as Dr. Temple Grandin

Here is the URL on Dr. Grandin's site with the image in question:

http://www.grandin.com/humane/restrain.slaughter.html

Yeshiva World -- Journalistic Integrity Is Not What We Do™

/ LOL!

[Nate]

More likely they did a Google Image search for PETA or something like that and came up with that.

They still should be ashamed.

[ben yomo]

you pontificating about copyright infringement is about as funny as Eric Yoffee's piece in which he called Chabad religious "minimalists"

[Jack the Crack]

Actually, get your facts straight. It clearly says "You have permission to copy articles, pictures, and diagrams. Please acknowledge Temple Grandin."

Perhaps he has written permission from them?

How do you know?

[Shmarya]

Actually, it says:This image is copyrighted. The copyright holder allows anyone to use it for any purpose, provided that the original image author and image description are creditedAnd then, this: You have permission to copy articles, pictures, and diagrams. Please acknowledge Temple Grandin.Learn how to read, Jack.

[Shmarya]

What is that image description that Yeshiva World News was supposed to credit (i.e., report)? This:Cattle restrained for stunning just prior to slaughter.If Yeshiva World had credited that line, no one would have been able to claime the picture was from a Rubashkin plant.

[Jack the Crack]

Woa!

I learned how to read.
I emailed YW and he responded that he made a mystake and he has no clue who Kosher Today is.

Seems like he truly made a mystake.

[Shmarya]

See the update to this post for details.

[Shmarya]

Ooops! See the update *appended* to this post for details.